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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29395623">A Little More Special Than That</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmokyrin/pseuds/cosmokyrin'>cosmokyrin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F, Fluff, In this fic Valentine's Day is Hearts' Day lol, Penny is in her Amity Arena Valentine's Day outfit (yes the blue one), Romance, Ruby and Penny being dorks as usual, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff, there's like a very very minor mention of Bee's Schnees and Renora</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:08:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,022</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29395623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cosmokyrin/pseuds/cosmokyrin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody's got a date for Hearts' Day, but Penny's on duty for the whole event. She hadn't asked anyone out, nor had anyone ask her out. And she thought she'd spend the whole day alone, but someone did specially think of her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Penny Polendina/Ruby Rose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Little More Special Than That</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay so I actually got to finish this before Valentine's Day! I've never written this kind of fic before, so I'm glad to be doing it for Nuts and Dolts! This was pretty much inspired by Penny's Amity Arena Valentine's Day outfit, and I really loved that cute dress on her hhhhhh</p><p>There's a super brief mention of Schneewood Forest, Bees Schnee's and Renora btw lol</p><p>Enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Red balloons, ribbons, decorations and booths littered the hallway. Couples poured from the main entrance, many of them adorned with wide smiles and blush on their faces. Arms linked, lips kissed, confessions clamored. Love was in the air. For this one day, the gray-blue walls of Atlas Academy came to life, and the sun made sure to join the celebration, too.</p><p>Penny looked forward to this day. She’d never experienced Hearts’ Day fully before, but only through glimpses of the Academy and through stories. In her previous body she wasn’t allowed to come out during celebrations like these. The General thought it was risky -- exposing her to the public when she wasn’t yet ready to interact. She also missed the event last year after she was rebuilt, busy as she was as the Protector of Mantle.</p><p>But in reality, she didn’t have leeway to experience the specialty of this year’s Hearts’ Day either. Big event, big crowds, more duty.</p><p>But that didn’t make her lose hope that maybe one day, she will get to experience what it’s like to, as people called it, <em> date </em>someone. She’s heard too many stories about what happens at this event, and she figured it wasn’t limited to lovers, but also extended to friends, even family. She found that what mattered was to give love to someone for this day, and hopefully, for more than just counted hours. And she was hoping that at least she gets a little taste of it.</p><p>Before her morning duty began, she checked up on her friends in hopes that she might be able to ask someone out, but it turned out they were already partnered with each other. Winter said she didn’t have a date in particular and was too busy with her duties to take the time off. Oddly, she was blushing. Penny also noticed a Happy Huntresses’ pin lying on her table. Weiss, Blake and Yang had agreed on their trio date, while Jaune and Oscar both agreed to duo-third wheel on Ren and Nora. Not that they complained, though, rather than get stuck on their bland rooms and hard beds. That left only one person available, and she was nowhere in sight. Weiss said she hadn’t seen Ruby since she woke up (and that surprised her). Penny left the room both disappointed and curious, and mentally noted how Weiss’s voice was higher than usual.</p><p>So Penny went on with the day’s task: greet couples and hand out flyers on what booths and events were prepared inside the Academy. Penny would have loved to visit the booths she endorsed, but she had to continually greet people with her cheery salutations and accompanying spiel. Everyone knew about the Protector and how she often looked like, so for today, the General suggested a change of appearance, too, as part of the event. Her usual white blouse and green skirt was replaced by a full blue dress with dark accents and highlighted with yellow bows. She thought it was fancy, a little more impractical than her regular outfit, but above all, even the most extravagant of dressers didn’t have as much decoration as she did.</p><p>In short, she felt more like a doll.</p><p>But as the General said, it was part of her duty -- to see to it that people are enjoying the event and for them to know that, on behalf of the institution and military, they bid everyone a good Hearts’ Day.</p><p>And that she did. Most of the students that passed by didn’t give much attention to her or they simply took the flyers without thanking or looking at her. And there were also the good few who gave her a once-over, apparently taking a bit longer around her mechanical legs. She couldn’t tell exactly what they thought, but surely it wasn’t comfortable.</p><p>Penny was aware she was propaganda. The way she was built -- a  special kind of girl who was made to be beautiful and graceful, and to have that mannerism and personality that was pleasing to interact with -- if to offset the horrifying truth about their enemies. She was the poster child of the military’s attempt to instill complacence to the people. And for the most part, it was successful. However, she was no celebrity but more of notoriety, but even with that she had gained enough trust from the citizens to at least <em> tolerate </em> her, and it was better than being treated as a freak.</p><p>Yet, no one made her feel genuinely special like one particular person did.</p><p>And it didn't help that today, of all days, she didn't spot Ruby exiting the pantry, nor the main hall of the Academy, nor the balcony she often sought fresh air from. By patterns she knew the hours Ruby would be going there, and the approximate length of her stay or the earliness and lateness of her coming and going. But, she thought, today was a special day.</p><p>And that's why she probably won't see her. Maybe she had different plans. Not that Penny had any say on what Ruby would do anyway, but maybe… just maybe, she hoped that...</p><p>"H-hey, Penny!"</p><p>The slight stutter almost didn't register as the recognition of the voice raced in her awareness. She looked up fast. Before she realized it, she was already mirroring the wide grin her best friend had.</p><p>"Ruby!" With no second thought she hugged Ruby tight. The young huntress shortly yelped and almost pulled back. It was too late, though. She was already caught in Penny’s vice grip affection.</p><p>Then a certain smell wafted on Penny's olfactory senses. Still hugging Ruby, she looked down and saw that her friend had a bouquet of roses behind her. Penny’s mechanics whirred a bit. Her embrace loosened and she felt herself slightly frown. She wondered if Ruby just passed by.</p><p>Penny broke the hug and kept her cheer as she faced Ruby. "You have a bouquet of roses! Whoever receives that would certainly be pleasured, Ruby! Are you on your way to them?"</p><p>Ruby blushed and briefly darted her eyes away. She ran a hand uncertainly at her neck, then opened her mouth only for nothing to come out. Awkwardly, Ruby revealed the bouquet and handed it to Penny.</p><p>At first, Penny wasn't sure if she should take it. Ruby was there -- in a white vest with a red cravat, topped with a red suit and paired with a black skirt and leggings all the way to her sneakers below, and for some peculiar fashion choice, eyeglasses at the top of her hair -- flustered and stiff, looking directly at her eyes and waiting for a response. Penny's shock danced across her face, and unconsciously she placed a hand over her mouth. Ruby's stiffness slowly transformed to uncertainty.</p><p>"I... Ruby," Penny almost whispered. "Is that for me?"</p><p>Ruby spilled out a bunch of words, but Penny barely connected them. Seeing Penny tilt her head, Ruby stopped and sighed. </p><p>“Y-yeah it is for you, Penny. I’d like to ask you to be m-my… date for today. It... was supposed to be a surprise, but then you hugged me. I forgot to account for that."</p><p>Penny wrung her hands together at her chest, a little more sorry than happy. "Oh, I would love to, Ruby! But I'm sorry for ruining your surprise!"</p><p>"Oh, no, no, Penny. You don't have to apologize!" Ruby grimaced and tried to keep her head down to hide it. But Penny was an astute observer. </p><p>“Ruby, what’s wrong?”</p><p>Ruby looked back up and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry… It’s just that I’m not really sure how to do this since I’ve never asked anyone out on this day.” Her shoulders dropped. “Or, you know, asked them out and actually accepted.”</p><p>“What do you mean by that?”</p><p>“Well…” Ruby frowned a bit and stared down. “Back when I was in Signal, Yang tried to get me to socialize. Told me that I should try asking someone out for Hearts’ Day. And I did try.” Ruby momentarily glanced at Penny, then back to her own feet. “The girl I asked out rejected me, and not so lightly either. Asked me how I thought she’d ever go out with someone like me... awkward and clumsy. She was… you know, classy and posh and all that. And I was just too… dorky for her, I guess?”</p><p>Penny felt her eyebrows furrow, her lips pout and her fists clench tighter around her chest. “That is <em> very </em> rude.”</p><p>Ruby chuckled, though not as cheerful. “That’s all in a past long gone,” she waved a hand. She looked at Penny and her smile returned.</p><p>Penny wouldn’t let herself believe that anyone could reject, <em> of all people</em>, Ruby. She was kind and helpful, always going out of her way for the sake of others. Then the thought turned to herself. To be treated so differently, bringing that invisible wall between her and other people -- she understood how Ruby must have felt, and in return, she wanted to make Ruby feel the same acceptance she unconditionally gave her. </p><p>At that moment, Penny grasped the true feeling of Hearts’ Day.</p><p>“If it may bring you… comfort, I… didn’t actually expect anyone to ask me out for Hearts’ Day.” She tried her best to look directly at Ruby’s eyes, but, for some reason, Penny felt herself looking away, face heating up a bit more than usual. “And I’m glad you did. To be asked by someone like you, Ruby, is something I feel very honored about.”</p><p>Penny captured the way that Ruby’s face reddened even further, to the point it would have nearly been the same shade as her suit. Ruby awkwardly tried to cover a grin that involuntarily shaped itself. The huntress cleared her throat.</p><p>“A-and I-I feel honored that you accepted my offer, Penny.” As Ruby watched Penny smile wider from that, she stepped closer and took her hand, her confidence slowly returning. “I’m really glad you did.”</p><p>Penny lurched forward, the sudden movement startling Ruby. The girl in the red suit expected another one of her bone-crushing hugs, only to be surprised at the softness of the arms wrapping around her and Penny’s face coming towards her, landing a kiss on her cheek. Then Penny pulled back, taking the bouquet from her hands, leaving Ruby into a sapphic mess.</p><p>“I have never done that to someone before,” Penny shyly said. “I hope I have done it right.”</p><p>Still stupefied, it took Ruby almost half a minute to think of responding back. She ran a hand on her right cheek, the feeling of the kiss still lingering. “You did it perfectly.”</p><p>Penny beamed at the compliment. She then turned her attention to the bouquet she held, adoring the red and green roses that alternately occupied the spaces. She didn’t have the same smelling function as people, but she knew what roses were made of, and what they meant -- and for Penny, that was enough to know their fragrance. “Thank you for making this a truly special day, Ruby.”</p><p>Ruby chuckled. “Don’t thank me yet. The day’s only starting.”</p><p>Penny then remembered her job and an apologetic expression crossed her face. “But... I still have my duty well until the afternoon. Will you be waiting for me?”</p><p>Ruby’s smile didn’t waver. “Of course. I can sit here and hold your hand if you want.”</p><p>“Oh, Ruby, you don’t have to-”</p><p>“But what if I want to?” Ruby interlocked their fingers together and grinned at her. “Being with you is my perfect kind of Hearts’ Day.”</p><p>Penny smiled. And for the rest of her shift, Penny might not have been certain how her date with Ruby was going, but Ruby hadn’t complained once. Looking at couples passing by, Penny had already forgotten how she felt earlier. There was someone who made her feel special not as the untouchable mascot of this day, not as the Protector of Mantle, or as one of the General’s impressive technology, but as the young woman with a heart and a soul, Penny Polendina. And she’s happy. Ruby was there to accept her for who she was.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!!</p><p>Fun fact: Weiss did help Ruby pick her outfit ;)<br/>Either Weiss thought Ruby's clothes for Valentine's were too goth or too casual, and the heiress just couldn't stand for that lol</p><p>This has an accompanying image that I haven't released yet as for this fic's posting, but you can check them out on my Tumblr (https://cosmokyrin.tumblr.com/tagged/kyrin's-art) or Twitter (@cosmokyrin) when it gets released on the 14th itself :D</p></blockquote></div></div>
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